Manus Zeref
Manus Zeref '(ゼレフノマヌストウ; Zeref no Manusu tou''), often simple referred as '''The Manus, is a sect founded in the country of Pergrande by Anatoly Chatrang . Once simply a cult dedicated to worship the infamous Black Mage, it soon spread its influence across the land until it became one of the more influential political powers in the whole kingdom, as well as recruiting acolytes and gaining power far outside the boundaries of Pergrande. The cult reached the pinnacle of its political influence during the War of Ire, where Anathol managed to lead the rebel faction which ended to depose the king Aergul the Demented, thus seizing the kingdom control. After the Sack of Othrys and the subsequent fall of the Giant community in the kingdom, the guild power in Pergrande remained unmatched, if always subtle and hidden in secrecy. The Magic Council spent years trying to destroy all the ramification of the cult all around EarthLand, and managed to thwart several of its plan, the greatest of it was the use of R-Systems to resurrect Zeref; however, the true political power of the Manus remained unknown to most, so the organization core and strength remained relatively untouched. History Location Strength Thanks to the coupe d'etat in the X772, Zeref Manus managed to gain control of Pergrande . Even though the political power of the country officially remains in the hand of the Royal Family, the War of Ire almost destroyed the rightful dynasty of Pergrande, leaving the surviving members either scattering trough Earthland or under the cult's domain. Thus, The Manus has virtually control over every resource or fighter the kingdom , though, considered the secrecy of its most important activities, it still employs followers or mercenaries for the most part. Despite this, the Magic Council is somewhat aware of Manus Zeref scopes and involvement in illegal activities, but the support given by the crown hinders every possibility of widespread investigations and protect it from being declared as a Dark Guild. Still, as far as raw numbers go, Manus Zeref is one of the biggest organization, with thousands of acolytes and squadrons capable of fight, most of them are even mage. Even when it comes to individual fighters the cult shows some impressive individual. The cult is lead by eight mages, called the Inner Circle, each one is titled as a piece of chess who reflect their position and power inside the organization (for example, Anathol Chatrang, the supreme guildmaster, is the King; Hou Dowager, his lieutenant, is the Queen, etc.) Regardless of their role, those mages are all formidable individuals, making the Inner Circle a force that is comparable to the might of Balance Alliance strongest individual teams. Being the largest and most influential underground cult in Earthland, The Manus had ramifications everywhere in the continent, and possibly far outside it. Virtually every sect of Zeref worshipper in the world answer to the Manus, or is subtly influenced by it. This included the very cult that enslaved Erza and Jellal in 776X to built the Tower of Heaven . The Magic Council managed to defeat and disband most of those "branch-cults" after years of constant research and fights, but it barely put a dent on The Manus true strength. Some of those sect were (and some are still) lead by high-ranking officers of the Inner Circle as separated Dark Guilds, not unlike how Racer controlled Harpuia for Oracion Seis. According to a few rumors, Manus Zeref is also strongly tied with the Balam Alliance, but no one can confirm what this kind of bond may be. Members and connections, however, are not Manus Zeref best assets. The ultimate thing that The Manus lust for more than anything is else is knowledge, knowledge of secret and forbidden magic arts. The cult has researched and brought the world several powerful Lost Magics, especially the ones connected to the very Dark Mage that it worship. Its discoveries in the arcane sect, political associations and great resources overall make this cult one of the most powerful and feared organization in the whole Earthland, a force that not even the Magic Council dare to face directly. Members Trivia Category:Organization Category:Cult